‘The Garfield Movie’ Movie Review: A Monotonous Adventure That Will Make You Want To Take A Cat Nap
Photo from DNEG Animation
From Jeff Nelson
Chris Pratt voices the title character in The Garfield Movie, joining his growing list of roles in established properties. From The Lego Movie to The Super Mario Bros. and beyond, he established himself as Hollywood’s go-to leading name, even when he makes an awkward fit. However, no voice performance can save the flavorless storytelling at work in The Garfield Movie’s overly familiar premise that blunders its humor as much as it does its heart.
Garfield (Pratt) is living the dream as Jon’s (Nicholas Hoult) pet alongside the reliable dog, Odie (Harvey Guillén). Their whole world is turned upside down when Garfield’s long-lost father, Vic (Samuel L. Jackson), suddenly reappears in his life. A devilish cat, Jinx (Hannah Waddingham), forces the trio to pursue an impossible milk heist that will change their lives forever.
The Garfield Movie invests its emotional core in the predictable father-son relationship, yanking the food-loving orange cat between the luxurious world of food delivery and the hardships of the streets. The film occasionally relies on the audience’s pre-existing love for Garfield, rarely expanding on the character. It feels like Odie and Jon exist purely as pieces of scenery because they’re expected to appear in a film adaptation of the comic, but they aren’t given much of anything to do. Nothing about this narrative feels innate to Garfield. Any animated character could be plugged into this story without losing a thing.
The milk heist adventure isn’t anything we haven’t seen before. Many of the plot beats echo the likes of Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, including the exaggerated factory hijinks and a deranged authoritative figure privy to the plan. The team faces several obstacles with plenty of physical humor but it just isn’t very funny. It’s aimed at 4- or 5-year-old children in the crowd, leaving nothing for the rest of the family to chew on in the way of action, comedy, or drama. Three Tom Cruise references aren’t enough to make up for it.
The unfussy animation style fits into the Illumination canon. Much like the adventure itself, the visuals lack personality. Meanwhile, the voice cast is packed with stars, although the supporting performances outshine Pratt. The frantic energy is loud and obnoxious.
The Garfield Movie is formulaic fodder that may feature Garfield in the lead role, but nothing about this adventure feels distinctly unique to the character. It lacks a soul and fails to expand upon its already-thin source material. The non-descript villains, wooden emotions, and tiresome noise create an empty animated film that will be forgotten immediately after the credits roll.
Rating: 1.5/5
The Garfield Movie hits theaters on May 24th, 2024.
